8th Day of HTCE: Pizza Dough

12|24|10

I’m giving away copies of the new How to Cook Everything iPad App, one every day until new year’s eve. Just sign up for the newsletter (look to your left) to enter the running. I’ll pick an email address at random and send you the App.

Pizza Dough

Makes: Enough for 1 large or 2 or more small pies

Time: 1 hour or more

You won’t believe how simple it is to make pizza dough at home. And because the dough freezes very well (at least for a couple of weeks), it’s even practical to whip up a batch for one or two people and tuck the rest away for another day.

To make pizza dough by hand or with a standing mixer, follow the directions, but use a bowl and a heavy wooden spoon or the mixer’s bowl and the paddle attachment instead of the food processor. When the dough becomes too heavy to stir, use your hands or exchange the mixer’s paddle for the dough hook and proceed with the recipe.

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9th Day of HTCE: Fajitas

12|23|10

Fajitas

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Time: 30 minutes

Fajita has come to mean any assemble-it-yourself assortment of meat, chicken, or even fish (usually shrimp) and grilled vegetables. Here’s the basic formula:

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Today Show: Perfect Rack of Lamb

12|22|10

Making rack of lamb for the holidays? Here are three ideas for what to put on top.

10th Day of HTCE: Real Popcorn

12|22|10

Real Popcorn

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Time: About 10 minutes

Unless you’re at work, please forget about microwave popcorn. It doesn’t compare to the real thing (especially if you don’t store the kernels forever), which takes at most twice as long. And popcorn takes brilliantly to real butter (instead of that artificially butter-flavored oil), cheese, and many other seasonings.

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The Minimalist: Rack of Lamb with Pimenton

12|22|10

This is a fantastic take on rack of lamb with persillade (and the pimenton-garlic bread crumbs are almost a dead ringer for crumbled chorizo.)

11th Day of HTCE: Skillet Pork Chops

12|21|10

Skillet Pork Chops, Eight Ways

Makes: 4 servings

Time: 30 minutes

The essential sear-and-simmer technique that leaves you with any number of excellent pan sauces (see the variations).

Other cuts and meats you can use: bone-in chicken thighs (which will require more cooking) or pork medal- lions cut from the tenderloin (which will cook more quickly). Check out the new How to Cook Everything iPad App

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Socialists Tell Americans to Eat Their Veggies

12|21|10

“The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta said people in America are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. They want to give all the power to the federal government to force you to eat more fruits and vegetables. … This is socialism of the highest order!” – Rep. Paul Broun, Georgia

Over at Slate, Dahlia Lithwick takes a humorous look at Republicans’ fear of vegetables, particularly the idiotic idea that the government will force people to eat vegetables if we don’t nip socialism in the bud.

Lithwick speculates that conservatives’ fear of vegetables (which is somewhat ironic, given all the lip service they pay to “the American farmer”) stems from their personal dislike of vegetables and their latent fear of women, especially their mothers. And while she has a lot of fun lampooning those who equate the government’s encouragement of healthy eating with a socialist takeover, she doesn’t mention another reason conservatives’ arguments are ridiculous: The government already encourages Americans to eat certain foods by subsidizing crops.

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Pureed White Beans with Tons of Fresh Herbs

12|21|10

By Freya Bellin

In making this recipe, I was reminded to never underestimate the power of fresh herbs. I went with a mix of pretty much every herb listed below (parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, tarragon, thyme), and despite my concerns that the flavors might clash, everything came together. The leeks and herbs made my kitchen smell like a garden, and the color is gorgeous. Cannellini beans make a great base for this dish. They’re very creamy but relatively neutral in flavor, so they take well to the herbs and leeks. The result was earthy and fresh—not to mention quite versatile. As noted below, you could serve this dish with fish or chicken (you may want a chunkier, hand-mashed consistency for that), or you can puree it and use it as a topping for crostini, as I did. And I will admit to just eating it by the spoonful as well.

After a quick taste-test, I decided to add just about a tablespoon or 2 of lemon juice (about 1/3 of a fresh lemon) to the mixture. The citrus really brightened up the flavors and gave it a nice zing at the end. Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook.

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12th Day of HTCE: Jim Lahey’s No-Work Bread

12|20|10

The just-released How to Cook Everything iPad App is spectacular (and I can say that since I didn’t develop it!). It’s something neither I nor anyone else could have dreamed of when I was first working on the book in the mid-90s.

To celebrate the launch I’m officially kicking off “The 12 Days of How to Cook Everything,” a countdown of the 12 most-voted-for HTCE recipes (based on an ongoing voting feature embedded in the App), one-a-day until new year’s eve.

It’s fascinating to me to see the recipes that people search for and come back to again and again: If you have any all-time favorites, post them in the comments section below, or just vote for them on the App.

Jim Lahey’s No-Work Bread

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Parmesan Cream Crackers

12|19|10

Throwing a holiday party sometime soon? Forget store-bought crackers and try these.

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